Swimming pool cover



Uhu-Lw June 4, 1963 R. PEARLsoN SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 27. 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS June 4, 1963 R. PEARLsoN 3,091,777

SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q5 N INVENTOR /mzzd fad/firma ATTORNEYS June 4, 1963 R. PEARLSON 3,091,777

SWIMMING POOL COVER Filed July 27, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,091,777 SWIMMING POOL COVER Raymond Pearlson, Hialeah, Fla. (640i) SW. 129th Terrace, Miami, Fla.) Filed July 2.7, 1960, Ser. No. 45,623 Claims. (Cl. 4 172) This invention relates to swimming pool covers, and more particularly to a moveable platform which ca-n serve as a pool cover and -as a pool bottom.

Swimming pools are usually constructed with an inclined :bottom so as to provide shallow, wading depth at one end and deep swimming and diving depth at the other end. This arrangement presents a dangerous condition in that small children may wade into water beyond a safe depth. At the Isaine time, the area available for swimming is but a fraction of the total area of the pool. All pools represent a hazard, as children, and even adults, may fall into deep| water when the pool is not attended. Frequently, a pool occupies a large portion of a yard, or other area, and represents a major area unusable for any other purpose.

It lis the 4general object of the present invention to provide a vertically movable platform, substantially the size `and shape of the pool which can provide a protective cover for the pool or a false bottom to change the usable pool depth at will.

A more specific object is to provide a platform of this nature which is supported by a plurality of hoists which can be operated to raise the platform to the top of the pool to become at once a cover and a recreation `area, or to lower the platform to the pool bottom or any level, or at any angle, in between.

Another object is to provide a cover of this kind which will be of light, yet strong, materials for ease in handling `and for strength.

A further object is to provide a platform which when raised, will present a flat, smooth surface `so that the pool area becomes usable when the pool is not to be used.

Yet another object is the provision of a platform of aluminum, or similar material, which may be supplied permanently colored to enhance the beauty of the pool when the platform is lowered and to provide a colorful area when the platform is raised.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a platform which will serve as a pool cover and, at the same time provide ready access to the pool bottom for cleaning.

It is also an object to provide a platform of this type which will have ymovable floor sections to permit access to the pool bottom, with the sections being self-lifting when released and the platform lowered a predetermined i depth in the pool.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof, when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany, and form part of, this specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a longitudinal section through a swimming pool with a platform constructed in accordance with the present invention installed therein;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan View of the structure shown inI FIGURE 1, parts being broken 4away to reduce the overall size;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of FIG- URE 4;

3,091,777 Patented June 4, 1963 ice FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken longitudinally through the platform, substantially on line 6 6 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective View of a portion of one of the side frame members, illustrating the connection to the hoist cable.

`In general, the invention consists of a platform, of substantially the size and shape of a swimming pool, suspended by cables from hoists mounted around the pool edge, and movable vertically to different elevations and angles within the pool. The platform is of particular overall construction, and has at least one movable section to provide access through the platform to `the pool bottom.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first adverting to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a swimming pool 1 which is of rectangular shape having parallel side Iwalls 2 and end walls 3. The pool may be of uniform depth throughout, and the bottom 4 may be at the depth usually provided at the deep end of a conventional pool.' The pool has the usual coping 5 and walks 6 around the edge.

At opposed positions along the sides of the pool, hoists 7 are mounted. These may be set upon the walls and have their cables 8 extend through slots 9 in the coping to connect to the platform 10. The hoists may be of any suitable type, including an electric motor 11 and a cable drum 12. The hoists are located appropriate distances from the pool ends, and are provided in opposed pairs, one pair adjacent each end of the pool.

The platform is to cover the entire horizontal area of the pool, and is constructed upon .a frame which includes side rails 13 and a plurality of transverse joists 14 interconnecting t-he side rails. Both the side rails land the joists are channel members. The rails are considerably deeper than the joists, vand the joists connect to the rails in the region of the lower edges of the rails. It is contemplated 4that the rails and joists will be of` aluminum, or other suitable l-ight-wei-ght and corrosion-free material.

rllhe entire area of the platform between the side rails is filled with longitudinally extending planking 15. The planks, or slots, 15 'will 'be of light-weight corrosion proof material also. The slats will be extruded members, of a shape which will provide requisite strength combined with lightness. Thus, the boxalike cross-section shown may be used, wherein there is a top surface panel 16,

vertical side walls 17 and inturned base flanges 18. The slats will be of such edepth `that their top panels will lie in the plane of the tops of the side rails when` the slats are seated upon the transverse joists.

The planks, or slats, will be held in proper spaced relation to one another, and fixed to the frame by means of tie-down strips 19 which extend transversely of the platform at either end. Strips 19j` are flat strips which overlie the top flanges of the framev side rails and the ends of the planks. The strips are perforated at equispaced intervals, and screws 20' pass through the openings and thread into tapped holes 21 in the plank ends. By this arrangement, the planks will Ibe equally spaced apart, to provide narrow slits between planks to allow free passage of water through the platform as th-e platform is raised and lowered in the water, and each plank will be secured to a tie-down strip at each end. Certain of the planks, or slats, 15 are also secured to the transverse joists by through bolts 22 so as to tie the planking to the frame.

Strips 19` may be used also as means for securing rubber wiper flaps 23 to the ends of the platform. The aps will be -secured between the planks and tie-down strips 19 and extend into curving contact with `the pool end walls. The flaps will serve to hold the platform spaced from contact with the pool ends and to prevent debris from falling between the platform ends and the pool walls. By having the flaps of some length and in curving contact with the pool walls, the flaps may adjust to bridge the lspaces between the platform ends and pool walls when Vthe effective platform length is varied due to tilting of the platform, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE l.

In order to permit access to the pool bottom, the platform may have one or more sections which can be lifted i vThe free ends of the hinged sections of strip 19' will overlie the adjacent ends of the side rails and may be locked to the side rails by wing nuts 27. It will be noted that the .through bolts 22 secure the central section of the planking to the frame so that when the side sections `are released the floorremains attached to the frame.

It is contemplated that at least several of the planks, or slats, of the hinged sections of flooring, those farthest from the hinges, will be filled with a buoyant material, such as styrofoam for example. This material may be made to shape to form a filler 28 which can be inserted into the ends of the hollow extruded planks. With this arrangement, the hinged sections will be self lifting when the wing bolts 27 are removed and the platform lowered i in the Water.

The platform has the hoist cables connected to it by securing the cable ends to brackets 29 which are bolted,

or otherwise fastened, to the side rails of the platform 'at positions underlying the hoist locations.

rackets 29 `also serve as mounting means for guide rollers 30, which are supported upon axles 31 journalled in the brackets. The rollers are for contact with the side Walls of the pool to allow free vertical movement of the platform without scraping against the Walls.

yIt will be evident from the above description and a study of -the accompanying drawings that the platform may be raised or lowered as desired by operation of the hoists. The platform can be lowered to the pool bottom (as shown in FIGURE l) and will leave the entire body of water unimpeded. It can be raised to any height to serve as a false bottom and reduce the usable water depth for non-swimmers and children. By operating one pair of opposed hoists, one end of the platform can be raised, or lowered, to pnovide an inclined bottom, forming shallow and deep ends for the pool. After tilting, the four hoists can be operated simultaneously to raise, or lower, the platform in its inclined position. When the pool is not in use, the platform can be raised level with the walk surrounding the pool .to lform a protective cover and eliminate the hazard of an open, unattended pool. At the same time, the platform provides an additional play area for children, dance tioor for adults, and a sizeable oor area for any desired use.

When it is necessary to clean the pool, the platform will be raised to its covering position and the wing bolts 27 will be removed to release the sections 24 and 25 for hinging movement. If the platform is then lowered, the buoyant fillers in the outer planks will cause the hinged sections to swing, until the ,sections will assume a vertical position (as shown in FIGURE 2) when the platform has been lowered 'to a `depth equal to the width of the hinged sections. The entire area along both sides of the pool will then be open for cleaning. When the cleaning is done, the platform can be raised and the hinged sections Will drop gently into place. The sections may be locked down by refastening wing bolts 27.

While one practical embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent that the speciiic details of structure shown and described are merely by way of illustration, yand the invention may take other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A cover for a swimming pool having side, end and bottom walls comprising, an open rigid -frame having side rails connected by transverse joists, the joists being below the tops of the side rails, a plurality of closely spaced hollow planks seated upon the joists, lying parallel to the side rails and filling the space between the side rails, groups of adjacent planks forming sections, tie down strips -overlying the ends of the planks of each section and secured thereto to join the planks of eachv section into a lunit, means hingedly connecting one section of plank adjacent t'he edge of the frame to the next adjacent section to permit raisingand lowering the hinged section, means releasea-bly securing the hinged section to the frame, and pairs of hoists mounted on top` of the pool Walls having cables connected to the frame at opposed positions adjacent the frame ends.

2. A swimming pool cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are ilexible resilient members along the ends of the frame in flexed engagement With the pool end walls. t

3. A cover for a swimming pool as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are meanscarried by the frame at its side edges for rolling contact with the poo-l side walls.

4. A cover for swimming pools as claimed in claim 1 wherein the planks are metal extrusions.

5. A. swimming pool cover as claimed in claim 1 wherein buoyant material is carried Within the hollow planks adjacent the'side rails of the hinged section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,091,909' Birmingham Mar. 31, 1914 1,564,904 Shinner Dec. 8, 1925 2,803,835 Summers Aug. 27, 1957 2,825,910 Prudek Mar. l1, 1958 2,884,156 Graham et al. Apr. 28, 1959 2,924,829 Mosier Feb, 16, 1960 2,928,103 Turner Mar. 15, 1960 2,958,083 Shook et al. Nov. l, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 817,778 France May 3l, 1937 

1. A COVER FOR A SWIMMING POOL HAVING SIDE, END AND BOTTOM WALL COMPRISING, AN OPEN RIGID GRAME HAVING SIDE RAILS CONNECTED BY TRANSVERSE JOISTS, THE JOISTS BEING BELOW THE TOPS OF THE SIDE RAILS, A PLURALITY OF CLOSELY SPACED HOLLOW PLANKS SEATED UPON THE JOISTS, LYING PARALLEL TO THE SIDE RAILS AND FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDE RAILS, GROUPS OF ADJACENT PLANKS FORMING SECTIONS, TIE DOWN STRIPS OVERLYING THE ENDS OF THE PLANKS OF EACH SECTION AND SECURED THERETO TO JOIN THE PLANKS OF EACH SECTION INTO A UNIT, MEANS HINGEDLY CONNECTING ONE SECTION OF PLANK AD- 